Types of Transportation in the Iron Age

The time period from 500 B.C. until approximately 800 B.C. is generally referred to as the iron age. It is during this period that humans developed a method of extracting iron. The people of the Iron Age believed in life after death, developed a strong assortment of weapons and they also improved methods of transportation. Travel by sea and by land was common during the Iron Age.

Carriage Transport

While walking was the most common form of land travel during the Iron Age, carriage transport also became increasingly popular during this period. People of higher social status used more expensive carriages, and historical research indicates that only a few individuals traveled by horse. As more roads were created, wagon use became more popular. Oxen pulled the heavier wagons that were variations of those created during the Bronze Age.

Transport: Rivers

While traveling on rivers, people of the Iron Age used dugouts. The dugouts were made from either lime trees or oak trees and the logs were hollowed out. The builders would spread out the wood so the dugouts could accommodate more people for travel. While the dugouts were primarily used to travel small distances on rivers, they were also sometimes used for longer sea travel.

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Transport: Primary Sea Travel

When traveling out to sea for longer periods of time, people in the Iron Age used bigger boats made of wood, specifically of lime or oak. A famous example of a bigger boat used during the early Iron Age is the Hjortspring boat. This was a plank boat that was pushed forward by paddles. Its light weight made it easy to maneuver during sea travel.

About the Author

Based in the Deep South, Cindy Roussos has been a full-time writer since 2004. Her work has appeared in such print publications as "Chicken Soup for the Soul" and online at websites such as FamilyTravelFun.com. Roussos graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Alabama.